First Ladies and the Archivist Who Tells Their Stories

National First Ladies Library’s Michelle Gullion is on a mission to elevate women through the lives of presidents’ wives.

Michelle Gullion, director of collections and research at the National First Ladies Library and Museum in Canton, Ohio, stands on the White House grounds on a recent visit to Washington, D.C. (Photo courtesy of Michelle Gullion)

Michelle Gullion sits in her office at the National First Ladies Library and Museum in Canton, Ohio, and embraces the controlled chaos around her. She points to one corner where a stack of books about former First Ladies Barbara and Laura Bush has taken root — including the 1990 bestselling children’s book “Millie’s Book: As Dictated to Barbara Bush.” In the other corner, she gestures toward files she hasn’t gotten around to organizing yet. 

America’s first ladies are her world. If there is a point person for presidential wives, Gullion is the person who probably knows the most. She often is the first call for people from across the world — scholars, educators, authors, donors, and descendants to name a few — who are interested in first ladies.

For the past 18 ye…